1st Alberta Legislature

Formal opening of the Legislative Assembly, March 15, 1906.

1st Legislative Assembly of Alberta lasted from November 9, 1905, to Monday, March 22, 1909. The government was led by Alexander Rutherford of the Alberta Liberal Party, they held an overwhelming majority of seats during the first legislature.

Party composition

Affiliation Elected in 1905 Standings at dissolution
Liberal 23 22
     Conservative 2 2
     Labour 1
 Total 25 25
 Government Majority 21 19

Members of the Legislative Assembly elected

For complete electoral history, see individual districts

  District Member Party
     Athabasca William Bredin Liberal
     Banff Charles W. Fisher Liberal
     Calgary William Cushing Liberal
     Cardston John William Woolf Liberal
     Edmonton Charles Wilson Cross Liberal
     Gleichen Charles Stuart Liberal
     High River Albert Robertson Conservative
     Innisfail John A. Simpson Liberal
     Lacombe William Puffer Liberal
     Leduc Robert Telford Liberal
     Lethbridge Leverett DeVeber Liberal
     Macleod Malcolm McKenzie Liberal
     Medicine Hat William Finlay Liberal
     Pincher Creek John Plummer Marcellus Liberal
     Ponoka John R. McLeod Liberal
     Red Deer John T. Moore Liberal
     Rosebud Cornelius Hiebert Conservative
     St. Albert Henry William McKenney Liberal
     Stony Plain John McPherson Liberal
     Strathcona Alexander Cameron Rutherford Liberal
     Sturgeon John R. Boyle Liberal
     Vermilion Matthew McCauley Liberal
     Victoria Francis A. Walker Liberal
     Wetaskiwin Anthony Rosenroll Liberal

Member changes after the election

  District Member Party Reason for By-Election
     Lethbridge William Simmons Liberal April 12, 1906 —Appointment of Mr. Leverett DeVeber to Canadian Senate
     Vermilion James Bismark Holden Liberal July 16, 1906 —Appointment of Mr. Matthew McCauley as warden of Edmonton Penitentiary
     Gleichen Ezra Riley Liberal December 7, 1906 —Appointment of Mr. Charles Stuart to Judicial Bench
     Lethbridge Donald McNabb Labour January 8, 1909 —Resignation of Mr. William Simmons to run for House of Commons

History of the First Legislature

Bills Report 1st Legislative Assembly
Party No. of Bills Royal Assent Withdrawn Killed
First Session
Liberal 83 76 9 0
     Conservative 0 0 0 0
Second Session
Liberal 54 49 5 0
     Conservative 0 0 0 0
Third Session
Liberal 45 43 0 2
     Conservative 2 0 1 1
Fourth Session
Liberal 54 48 3 3
     Labour 3 2 0 1
     Conservative 0 0 0 0

The 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly came about after the creation of Alberta. The assembly met for the first time in 1906 under a strong Alberta Liberal Party majority. The Alberta Legislature Building was not built yet, and the assembly met in a school gymnasium in Edmonton.

Edmonton was designated as the temporary capital city for Alberta during its creation. One of the major debates that occurred in this assembly was the capital city debate. A number of alternative capital cities were chosen and voted on. In the end partly due to the strong representation around Edmonton and strong Liberal majority, Edmonton was chosen as the permanent capital city in Alberta.

Labor MLA Donald McNabb's by-election victory made him the first third party candidate elected to the legislature and helped raise the strength of the labour movement in the Lethbridge area that would have an effect in Alberta politics for quite some time to come.

External links

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